Although it was the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, the local monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor, rather than a Sultan. Melaka is famous for its unique history and is one of the major tourist destinations in Malaysia. With a highly strategic state position for international trade routes, Malacca was once a well-known international trade center in the East. Many traders anchored in Malacca, especially traders from Arabia, China and India, traded at the port of Malacca and from there were born many of the descendants and tribes that exist in Malacca to this day.

Sultanate of Malacca

Before the arrival of the first Sultan, Malacca was a fishing village inhabited by local inhabitants known as Orang Laut. Malacca was founded by Parameswara, also known as Iskandar Shah. He found his way to Malacca around 1402 where he found a good port—it was accessible in all seasons and on the strategically located narrowest point of the Malacca Straits.[22] In 1403, the first official Chinese trade envoy led by Admiral Yin Qing arrived in Malacca. Later, Parameśwara was escorted by Zheng He and other envoys in his successful visits. Malacca's relationships with Ming China granted it protection from attacks by Siam and Majapahit. Malacca officially submitted to Ming China as a protectorate. This encouraged the development of Malacca into a major trade settlement on the trade route between China and India, Middle East, Africa and Europe.[23]

According to a popular legend, Parameswara was resting under a tree near a river during a hunt, when one of his dogs cornered a mouse deer. In self-defence, the mouse deer pushed the dog into the river. Impressed by the courage of the deer, and taking it as a propitious omen of the weak overcoming the powerful, Parameswara decided then and there to found an empire on that very spot. He named it 'Malacca' after the tree where he had just taken shelter at, the Malacca tree (Malay: Pokok Melaka).[24]

Winstedt[25] suggested that the mouse deer story is likely a story modified from a folk-tale from Kandy, Sri Lanka. And more recently, Ahmat Adam[26] pointed out the another possible source of the mouse deer story in his recent romanization work on Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai. Since the founding of Kandy and Pasai predate Melaka, it is not unsafe to conclude that the Melaka version of mouse deer is borrowed and adapted from them.

In collaboration with allies from the sea-people (orang laut), the wandering proto-Malay privateers of the Straits, he established Malacca as an international port by compelling passing ships to call there, and establishing fair and reliable facilities for warehousing and trade.[22]

Mao Kun map, from Wubei Zhi, which comes from the early 15th century maps of Zheng He's navigators and cartographers, showing Malacca (滿剌加) near the top left.

In Malacca during the early 15th century, Ming China actively sought to develop a commercial hub and a base of operation for their treasure voyages into the Indian Ocean.[27] Malacca had been a relatively insignificant region, not even qualifying as a polity prior to the voyages according to both Ma Huan and Fei Xin, and was a vassal region of Siam.[27] In 1405, the Ming court dispatched Admiral Zheng He with a stone tablet enfeoffing the Western Mountain of Malacca as well as an imperial order elevating the status of the port to a country.[27] The Chinese also established a government depot (官廠) as a fortified cantonment for their soldiers.[27] Ma Huan reported that Siam did not dare to invade Malacca thereafter.[27] The rulers of Malacca, such as Parameswara in 1411, would pay tribute to the Chinese emperor in person.[27] In 1431, when a Malaccan representative complained that Siam was obstructing tribute missions to the Ming court, the Xuande Emperor dispatched Zheng He carrying a threatening message for the Siamese king saying "You, king should respect my orders, develop good relations with your neighbours, examine and instruct your subordinates and not act recklessly or aggressively."[27] The early kings of Malacca—Parameswara, Megat Iskandar Shah, and Sri Maharaja—understood that they could gain Ming China's protection through skillful diplomacy and thereby could establish a strong foundation to their kingdom against Siam and other potential enemies.[28] Chinese involvement was crucial for Malacca to grow into a key alternative to other important and established ports.[29]

To enhance relations, Hang Li Po, according to local folklore, a daughter of the Ming Emperor of China, arrived in Malacca, accompanied by 500 attendants, to marry Sultan Manshur Shah who reigned from 1456 until 1477. Her attendants married locals and settled mostly in Bukit Cina.[30]

Map of Malacca 1602

"In the 9th month of the year 1481 envoys arrived with the [......] Malacca again sent envoys to China in 1481 to inform the Chinese that, while Malaccan envoys were returning to Malacca from China in 1469, the Vietnamese attacked the Malaccans, killing some of them while castrating the young and enslaving them. The Malaccans reported that Vietnam was in control of Champa and also sought to conquer Malacca, but the Malaccans did not fight back, because they did not want to fight against another state that was a tributary to China without permission from the Chinese. They requested to confront the Vietnamese delegation to China which was in China at the time, but the Chinese informed them since the incident was years old, they could do nothing about it, and the Emperor sent a letter to the Vietnamese ruler reproaching him for the incident. The Chinese Emperor also ordered the Malaccans to raise soldiers and fight back with violent force if the Vietnamese attacked them again.[31][32]

It soon became clear that Portuguese control of Malacca did not also mean they controlled Asian trade centred there. Their Malaccan rule was severely hampered by administrative and economic difficulties.[34] Rather than achieving their ambition of dominating Asian trade, the Portuguese had disrupted the organisation of the network. The centralised port of exchange of Asian wealth had now gone, as was a Malay state to police the Straits of Malacca that made it safe for commercial traffic. Trade was now scattered over a number of ports among bitter warfare in the Straits.[34]

The JesuitmissionaryFrancis Xavier spent several months in Malacca in 1545, 1546, and 1549. The Dutch launched several attacks on the Portuguese colony during the first four decades of the seventeenth century. The first attack took place in 1606 under the command of Dutch Admiral Cornelis Matelief de Jonge who laid siege to the town with the help of his Johor allies. He engaged the Portuguese armada which had been sent from Goa to offer armed relief to the besieged port.[35] On 14 January 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in an effort to capture Malacca, with the help of the Sultan of Johor.[5][6][36] The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798 but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance on Batavia (Jakarta) and Java as their administrative centre. However they still built their landmark, better known as the Stadthuys. In the Dutch era the building was white, the red paint is of later date.

Post colonial era

After the dissolution of this crown colony, Malacca and Penang became part of the Malayan Union on 1 April 1946,[11] which later became the Federation of Malaya on 1 February 1948.[12] The declaration of independence was made by the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman, at Padang Pahlawan on 20 February 1956, which eventually led to the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957.[13] On 16 September 1963, Malaysia was formed with the merger of Malaya with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, and Malacca became part of it.[14] On 15 April 1989, Malacca was declared a historical city. It was then also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.[16]

Geography

The state of Malacca covers an area of 1,664 km2 (642 sq mi).[2] It sits upon the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra, with the state of Negeri Sembilan to the north and west and Johor to the east. Malacca is situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the west coast, 148 km (92 mi) south of Kuala Lumpur and commands a central position on the Straits of Malacca. With the exception of some of its small hills, Malacca is generally a lowland area with average elevation below 50 meters above sea level.[38]

The man-made Malacca Island is connected to the mainland and it is the first phase of the development of Malacca Gateway offshore development, expected to be completed by 2025.

Climate

The climate of Malacca is hot and humid throughout the year with rainfall occurring mostly between October and March. Temperature ranges generally between 30-35 °C during daytime and between 27-29 °C during night time.[40]

Malacca's state parliament is called the State Legislative Assembly and the party in power forms the Executive Committee. The assembly represents the highest authority in the state and decides on policy matters. The State Executive Council is responsible to the assembly and comprises members who are appointed every five years by the political party in power. It is headed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri who is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. The current Yang di-Pertua Negeri is Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

The State Government is headed by the Chief Minister. The minister is appointed by Yang di-Pertua Negeri from among the State Legislative Assembly members. The Chief Minister presides over a meeting of State Executive Council ministers weekly at the Chief Minister's office. The Chief Minister's Department is responsible for the overall administration of the state, as well as its political interest. The current Chief Minister is Sulaiman Md Ali from the UMNO.

Economy

Despite being located in a land without any significant natural resources, the economy of Malacca dates back more than 500 years, due to its strategic location. As the center of the all important spice trade, Malacca attracted many colonial powers to engage wars to control it.[43]

Sungai Udang houses the PETRONAS Malacca Refinery Complex consisting two refining trains, established in 1994 and 1999 and owned by PETRONAS Penapisan (Melaka) Sdn. Bhd. and Malaysian Refining Company Sdn. Bhd. respectively. The total capacity of the refinery is 270,000 barrels of oil per day.[44][45]

The Malacca International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh which was opened in June 2003 is the leading commercial center and the center for meetings, incentives, convention and exhibitions which plays an important role in the development of trade in Malacca.[46]

As of 2012[update], service sector contributes to the largest share of economy in Malacca accounted for 46.9%, followed by manufacturing (43.5%), agriculture (6.5%), construction (2.9%) and mining (0.1%).[49] In terms of number of workforce, as of 2013[update], there were 275,000 people working in the industrial sectors, 225,000 people working in the service sectors, 35,000 people working in the entrepreneurship sectors and 12,300 people working in the agricultural sectors.[50]

Malacca has successfully opened itself up to foreign investors since the early 1970s. By 1997, the state has registered a total investment of over MYR16 billion. In 2014, the state achieved a total MYR4.4 billion worth of investment, in which MYR1.8 billion came from foreign investors.[51]

In 2013, Malacca had a GDP of MYR22,646 million with GDP per capita of MYR34,109. It had 3.2% GDP growth in 2013. Inflation rate in 2012 was 1.6%. As of 2015[update], the Malacca State Government has an outstanding MYR861.7 million of loan to the federal government. In 2014, the state government's reserve amounted to MYR206.61 million.[52] The unemployment rate in 2014 was 0.9% or around 3,500 people.[53] The state has a relatively well-educated population, with a youth literacy rate of 99.5% as reported by Malaysia Millennium Development Goals Report 2015.[54]

Currently there are 23 industrial areas which are centered along the edges of the city proper in suburbs which include Ayer Keroh, Batu Berendam, Cheng, Taman Tasik Utama and Tanjung Kling. While outside Malacca City, industrial areas include Alor Gajah and Sungai Udang. There are around 500 factories in the state which come from Germany, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, United States etc. For small and medium-sized enterprises, a number of estates have been established by the state government.[55][56]

In 2016, Malacca became the safest place to live in Malaysia.[57] The state crime rates dropped by 15.5 per cent in 2017 with 3,096 cases recorded compared to 3,663 in 2016.[58] Malacca recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 8.1% in 2017, the second highest in the country after Sabah. Services sector remained the main contributor to the state’s economy at 44.8% of GDP. The GDP per capita also expanded 11.2% to RM46,015 in 2017, surpassing the national-level figure of RM42,228.[59] The State Socioeconomic Report 2017 published on July 26, 2018 reported that Malacca was the state that recorded the lowest unemployment rate in 2017 with only 1.0 percent.[60][61]

Culture

Melaka Mosque

Each group upholds their tradition and it is reflected in their food, religion customs, festivals, culture, design, application, jewellery and handicrafts.[62] Among the unique Melaka culture is Dondang Sayang which is recognized by UNESCO. Dondang Sayang is a traditional Malay art still practised in Melaka by four communities: the Malay, Baba Nyonya, Chitty and Portuguese communities. The practice combines elements of music (violins, gongs and tambourines or the tambour), songs and chants, and features melodious strains of poetry. Also known as love ballads, the songs are used by communities to convey feelings of love and give advice on special topics such as love and kindness.[63][64] For food, Malacca received recognition from the World Street Food Congress for Nyonya Siamese Noodles (34th) and Coolie Street Satay (43rd).[65] The various street dishes and delicacies of Malacca include (but not limited to) satay celup; chicken rice balls; duck noodles; Melaka-style wantan mee; nyonya laksa; pai tee (also known as pie tee and top hats); ayam pongteh; asam pedas with fish; Portuguese grilled fish and seafood; fishball lobak; coconut shake; nyonya cendol; putu piring; and nyonya kuih.[66]

Demographics

Malacca has an estimated population of 931,210 as of 2016[update] with an average annual population growth of 2%.[53][67] As of 2016[update], 27% of the population aged below 15 years old and 8% aged above 60 years old.[50] The ethnic composition of Malacca as of 2015 is 66.8% Malays (552,700), 1.4% other Bumiputras (11,500), 26.0% Chinese (215,000), 6.2% Indians and Chitty (51,400) and 0.6% others (4,800).[3] Malacca has small communities of Kristang, Dutch Eurasian and Temuan people.

Malay community in Malacca is generally divided into two, which are the Temenggong custom and the Perpatih custom.[68] The remaining traditional Malay village in Malacca City is the Morten Village.[69]

Jonker Walk is the Chinatown area of Malacca. It was once known for its antique shops but have since turned into a well-known tourist destination that features clothes, food and crafts.[70] The Peranakan people in Malacca show unique features, such as furniture, porcelain, crockery, style and food. Their culture is showcased at the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum.

Indians in Malacca are predominantly Tamils, many of whom used to work at the rubber plantation.[71] However, many of them now work in the jewellery, fabrics, retailers, merchants and money lender sectors.[72] Many of them reside in Little India. There is also Chitty Village for the minority Chitty people which houses the Chitty Museum.

A sizable number of PunjabiSikhs residing in Malacca, and Sikhs from Malacca and abroad congregate in the gurdwara (Sikh temple) situated in Jalan Temenggong.[73] They celebrate the Guru Nanak's birthday and Vasakhi new year annually.

A population of Portuguese descent, who speak a Portuguese creole, are the descendants of colonists from the 16th and 17th centuries.[74] Even to this day, many of the traditions originating with the Portuguese occupation are still practised, i.e. "Intrudu" from Portuguese word "Entrudo" (a water festival that marks the beginning of Lent, the Catholic fasting period), "branyu" (traditional dance), "Santa Cruz" (a yearly Festival of street celebrations). Many of them settle down around the Portuguese Settlement area, which has a population of about 1,200 residents.[75]

Statistics from the 2010 Census indicate that 91.6% of the Chinese population in Malacca are identified as Buddhists, with significant minorities of adherents identifying as Christians (6.7%), Chinese folk religions (0.7%) and Muslims (0.4%). The majority of the Indian population are Hindus (86.3%), with a significant minorities of numbers identifying as Christians (6.6%), Muslims (3.4%) and Buddhists (2.8%). The non-Malay bumiputera community are predominantly Christians (46.8%), with significant minorities identifying as Muslims (24.2%) and Buddhists (12.0%).[78]

Sports

Sports-related affairs of Malacca are governed by the Malacca State Sports Council (Malay: Majlis Sukan Negeri Melaka) under the Malacca State Government.[80] Another governing body of sports in Malacca is the Department of Youth and Sports (Malay: Jabatan Belia dan Sukan Negeri Melaka).

Malacca is home to several football stadiums, such as Hang Jebat Stadium, Hang Tuah Stadium and Tun Fatimah Stadium. Built in 1954, Hang Tuah Stadium is the oldest stadium in Malacca.[81] Established under the Malacca Stadium Corporation Enactment of 2004, the Malacca Stadium Corporation is the entity that manages stadiums in Malacca which started its operation on 16 September 2004.[82]

There are four golf courses in Malacca, namely Ayer Keroh Golf and Country Club, Orna Golf and Country Club and Tiara Malacca Golf and Country Club in Ayer Keroh and A'Famosa Golf Resort in Simpang Ampat.[84] Golf-related paraphernalia in Malacca is showcased at the Malacca Golf Gallery.

Malacca also has a football team known as Melaka United representing Malacca in the Malaysian football league. The Melaka football team won the first Malaysia Premier League title in 1983, in addition they were the champion of the third division of the Malaysia football league, FAM League Cup, in 2015 before won the second Premier League title a year after it. Melaka United uses the Hang Jebat Stadium in Krubong as their home ground with a capacity of 40,000 spectators.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Ayer Keroh National High School

Up to 2018, there are 237 primary schools and 77 secondary schools in Melaka.[85] Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Yok Bin, Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Of The Infant Jesus (2), Sekolah Kebangsaan (P) Methodist (2) and Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Of The Infant Jesus (1) is the high performance primary school in Melaka while for secondary school is Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Syah (MOZAC), Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Selandar and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Sharifah Rodziah.[86] The Malacca High School is one of the premier schools in Malaysia and is the second oldest recorded school in the country after Penang Free School in Penang. The Ministry of Education of Malaysia enrolls students based on their Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3). A centre for juvenile convicts, Henry Gurney Prisoners School, is in Telok Mas, Malacca. Established in 1949 as High Moral School, it was renamed to the School of Henry Gurney on May 15, 1950. This centre runs rehabilitation programs for male juvenile offenders.

Malacca has three international schools, the Melaka International School, which cater for the local communities; MES and KYS International School, staffed by expatriate teachers, which specialise in teaching Cambridge International A Levels and cater for the expatriate communities.

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) lectures and examinations are provided at Sinar College at Malacca City. Sinar College is the only institution in the state that offers complete accounting education. Sinar College is the only approved training centre for tourism courses. Other academic institutions include International College of Yayasan Melaka (ICYM), Melaka International College of Science and Technology (MiCoST).

The state government of Malacca provides financial assistance mainly in the form of loans to local citizens via Melaka Education Trust Fund (TAPEM).[87] Among the facilities provided by TAPEM are Higher Education Loan, Minor Scholarship/Incentive Scholarship for Secondary School, and School Assistance to Primary School Students.[88]

Public libraries

The very first library in Malacca was the Khutub Khanah Malacca, established in 1881 and was located at the Stadthuys. After the independence of Malaya in 1957 and formation of Malaysia in 1963, the library was moved to Hang Tuah Hall in 1966. In 1975, the Malacca Public Library Corporation was enacted to establish the Malacca Public Library. The corporation was then established 2 years later in 1977 located at Hang Tuah Hall. In 1993, the Malacca Public Library Enactment (Amendment) Act 1993 went in force. The library was finally moved to its current location at Bukit Baru and inaugurated on 4 November 1996.[89]

At district level, the Jasin branch of the library was established in 1986 at JKR Building, which then later moved to a new building in 1999. The Alor Gajah branch of the library was established in 1988 at UMNO Building, which then later moved to a new building in 1998. The Central Malacca branch of the library was established in 1996 at Hang Tuah Mall after the main library moved to Bukit Baru, which then later changed to Higher Education Institute Resource Center Library in 2001.

At town and village level, library branches are Masjid Tanah branch established in 1992 and 2005; Air Tawar Village Library, Felda Kemendor Village Library, Selandar Village Library and Kuala Linggi Village Library branches established in 1993; Rantau Panjang Village Library branch established in 1994; Merlimau branch established in 1994 and moved to a new building in 2003; Pulau Sebang Village Library branch established in 1997; Japerun Sungai Rambai Library, Japerun Serkam Library, Japerun Durian Tunggal Library and Ayer Molek Darat Village Library branches established in 1999; Felda Bukti Senggeh Village Library and Felda Bukit Sedanan Village Library branches established in 2000; Kampung Padang Village Cyber Library branch established in 2001; Japerun Air Panas Library, Bertam Hulu Village Library, Japerun Bukit Asahan Library, Tangga Batu Village Library and Paya Rumput Village Library branches established in 2002; Ilmu Air Limau Cyber Library and Ilmu Chenderah Cyber Library branches established in 2003; Menggong Village Library branch established in 2004; Klebang Village Cyber Library established in 2005; Telok Mas Town Library and Telok Gong Village Library established in 2006; Bukit Bulat Village Library established in 2008; Malacca Planetarium Community Library and ÆON Community Library branches established in 2010; Sungai Rambai Village 1Malaysia Library established in 2012.

Health care

Malacca houses a number of government and private hospitals and health clinics, as well as hundreds of private clinics. The location of medical institutions are located all over the state of Malacca, either in urban or rural areas, providing uniform and equitable healthcare to the residents. Health-related affairs in Malacca is governed by Malacca State Health Department by providing basic health service to the residents and oversee all government health facilities in the state among hospitals, community polyclinic, rural health clinics and clinics.[90]

Malacca is also a popular place for health care and medical tourism for Indonesian people from Sumatra due to its close proximity to the state, followed by Singapore.[91][92] In 2014, Malacca received over 500,000 tourists for medical tourism-related purpose.[93]

Green energy

On 16 December 2013, the Malacca State Government unveiled the draft 8,000 hectares special area called the Malacca World Solar Vallery in Rembia, Alor Gajah applying solar energy as the primary alternative in all municipal activity sectors.[95][96]

By 2020, the government-run 7,248ha Melaka World Solar Valley aims to power most of the daily activities of manufacturers, housing developers, farmers, and other stakeholders. Recently, a public-private partnership installed 100,000 LED street lamps along the Alor Gajah–Central Melaka–Jasin (AMJ) highway, which will improve road safety and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.[97]

Water supply

Water supply-related matters in Malacca is administered by the Malacca Water Company Ltd. (Malay: Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad) which is headquartered at Malacca City. It was established on 1 July 2006 after it was upgraded from its predecessor Malacca Water Corporation (Malay: Perbadanan Air Melaka). The company is also responsible for the maintenance and delivery infrastructure of clean water in the state.[98]

Daily water consumption for Malacca is 500 million litres and each resident consumes 220 litres per day, higher than the national average of 180 litres per day. The Malacca State Government signed an agreement with Johor State Government on a water supply agreement in 1993 and additional water supply agreement in 2013.[101][102] Another water supply agreement is planned to be signed with Negeri Sembilan in the future.[103]

Environmental campaign

Malacca adopted a campaign slogan of Don't Mess with Malacca since 2014 to reduce littering in the state after the local authorities found that cleanliness levels had dropped. The slogan was adopted from the Don't Mess with Texas campaign held in Texas, United States, launched in 1986. The idea came from Chief MinisterIdris Haron when he was still studying at the University of Texas at El Paso in the late 1980s.[104]

Tourism

Tourism is a booming industry in Malacca. It is a popular travel destinations for Singaporeans during the weekends. Malacca has adopted as its slogan, "Visiting Malacca Means Visiting Malaysia" ("Melawat Melaka Bererti Melawati Malaysia"). There is a tourist map provided by Malacca.[105][106]

In 2017, the state recorded 16.79 million tourist arrivals, the highest number to date. Despite been a small state spanning 1,644 km2, Melaka has been a destination of choice for travellers from China, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.[107] During the first six months (January–June) 2018, over 8.73 million tourists were recorded visiting Melaka which is over seven percent compared to 8.14 million tourists for the first six months of 2017. It showed an increase of 599,037 tourists. The increase was contributed by the increase of domestic tourists to Melaka which was more than 72,000 or 1.36 percent. For domestic tourists, five states reportedly visited the most are from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan. Most of these tourists love to enjoy grilled fish and asam pedas in Malacca. In addition, foreign tourist arrivals also experienced a sharp increase of more than 520,000 or 19.03 percent. Travelers from five countries recorded the highest rates are China, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.[108]

In recent years, Malacca has received numerous international accolades. The city has been listed by several publications, including Forbes and Lonely Planet, as one of Asia's and World's Top Travel Destinations.[109][110] Malacca listed as one of 10 Best Destinations in Malaysia by Tripadvisor.[111] Waze App recognized Malacca with 'The Best City to Drive In' Award.[107] Globally, the historic city is ranked ahead of other major metros like Sydney, Lisbon, and Barcelona.[112] The city also has been recognised by HuffPost as 15 of the Best Street Art Cities.[113] In addition, Time publication placed Malacca as one of the best places to live and retire.[114]

Street art

Penang started the street art trend in Malaysia and Malacca soon followed suit with their River Art Project in 2012. Water has always been a big part of Malacca’s history. It was once one of the world’s most important trading ports, so it also makes sense that Malacca start the street art with the buildings beside the river. To boost the art landscape in Malacca, nine artists came together to paint their works on the walls of historical shophouses along the river in Jalan Kampung Hulu. Known as ProjectARM, these artworks are designed to highlight the beauty of Malacca. The murals depict the artists representation of Malacca and include a colourful mosaic painted on the walls of Kiehl’s store.[115][116]

Railway

There were railway tracks from Pulau Sebang to Malacca City before World War II, but these were dismantled by the Japanese for the construction of the BurmeseDeath Railway.[150] On October 10, 2015, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) commuter service has introduced a new route, shuttle service between Seremban-Sebang/Tampin-Gemas station.[151][152]

A 1.6-km line of Malacca Monorail was launched in October 2010, served the route along the Malacca River. Due to several technical glitches months into its operation, the system was left idle in 2013. However, in June 2015 the Malacca State Government decided to revive the project.[153] On December 4, 2017, Malacca Monorail has re-operate[154] with enhanced safety features such as lightning-prevention devices and the addition of a rescue vehicle to attract wagons in the event of a technical problem.[155] The previous incident is believed will not recur as tests had been performed for two months before re-operation. The Malacca Monorail operating hours are 10.00 am to 10.00 pm on weekdays and will be continued until 12.00 midnight on Saturdays and Sundays.[156]

Water

Daily ferries run from Malacca to the Indonesian cities of Bengkalis, Dumai and Pekanbaru departing from Harbour Master's Jetty.[157] Regular boat services to Big Island depart from mainland Malacca in Umbai. Several jetties around the state, such as in Merlimau, are used by fishermen.[158]

Many of the heavily decorated cycle rickshaws (Malay: beca) equipped with sound system can be seen on the streets in Malacca. Most of them are used to bring tourist around the town for sightseeing. The average size can accommodate two average adult with probably a child.[162]

However, poor road infrastructure is still a major problem in Malacca state. Malacca state government is trying to improve the transportation services in Malacca but the "improvement" and "city planning" doesn't even works at all. The main transportation hub is located only in Ayer Keroh and Bandaraya Melaka.

Art of culture and entertainment

Melaka is an ideal filming location for domestic and international film production companies with the presence of various tourist attractions and historical remains. Iconic Bollywood artist, Shah Rukh Khan described Melaka as beautiful and said he would return for acting and holiday in the state.[163] The films and the music videos published in Malacca include:

Hang Nadim, very young Malay boy of great ingenuity who saved Temasek, now called Singapore, from attack by shoals of a species of swordfish named todak; attacks which cost many indigenous Malays their lives.

Hang Tuah, legendary warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century.

Munshi Abdullah (Abdullah Abdul Kadir), Malayan writer, was a Malacca-born Indian munshi of Singapore and died in Jeddah, a part of the Ottoman Empire.

Tan Siew Sin, son of Tun Dato' Sri Tan Cheng Lock, Malaya's (later Malaysia's) first Minister of Commerce and Industry, Finance Minister for 15 years, and third president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA, later Malaysian Chinese Association), a major component party of Alliance and later National Front (BN) coalition.

^Shih-shan Henry Tsai (1996). The eunuchs in the Ming dynasty (illustrated ed.). SUNY Press. p. 15. ISBN0-7914-2687-4. Retrieved 28 June 2010. Other reports condemned Annamese alleged violation of an Asian "diplomatic protocol" as they killed and enslaved several Southeast Asian envoys who carried tributary missions to China in 1469. Older members of the mission were all killed while younger members were castrated and sold into slavery

Headrick, Daniel R. (2010). Power Over Peoples: Technology, Environments, and Western Imperialism, 1400 to the present. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

"Popular History of Thailand" by M.L. Manich Jumsai, C.B.E., M.A.

This article incorporates text from Miscellaneous papers relating to Indo-China: reprinted for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from Dalrymple's "Oriental Repertory," and the "Asiatic Researches" and "Journal" of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 1, by Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Straits Branch, Reinhold Rost, a publication from 1887 now in the public domain in the United States.

This article incorporates text from Miscellaneous papers relating to Indo-China: reprinted for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from Dalrymple's "Oriental Repertory," and the "Asiatic Researches" and "Journal" of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 1, by Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Straits Branch, Reinhold Rost, a publication from 1887 now in the public domain in the United States.